Our ARI seminar series shares research to raise awareness about key ecological issues and build opportunities for collaboration.
Each year, we feature research from ARI scientists and researchers from around the world. We all have much to learn from each other, and the seminar series continues to be an important part of the intellectual life of our Institute.
Scheduled seminars are broadcast by webinar on Mondays 1-2 pm, unless otherwise indicated. Each session is an hour, usually featuring two presenters and allowing for questions from the audience. All seminars are recorded and you can access them at any time in the table below or through the ARI Seminar Playlist on YouTube.
If you would like to recieve invites for new seminars and reminders, sign-up for ARI Updates and select the ARI Seminar email list.
Recordings from 2020-2025 are available to view at any time- see links below:
2025 ARI Research Seminar Series
| 2025 | Speaker(s) and subject | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 24th | Fighting Phytophthora Associate Professor Barbara Wilson (Deakin University) Dr Mark Garkaklis (Ecological consultant) | |
| March | 24th | Saving our aquatic species Tim D Fernando (DEECA) Sam Fawke (VFA) | |
| April | 28th | Protecting our marine ecosystems Dr Simone Stevenson (DEECA) Trent Hobley (DEECA) | |
| May | 26th | Reconciliation Week - Cultural and scientific collaboration in turtle research Lee Joachim (Yorta Yorta) Katie Howard (DEECA) | |
| June | 23rd | Western Victoria Fires - threatened species case studies Dr Sarah Garnick (DEECA) Dr David Cantrill (Royal Botanic Gardens) Marcello Bold (Parks Victoria) | |
| July | 21st | The state of Victoria's Koala population (TBC) | |
| August | 11th | National Science Week (TBC) | |
| September | 15th | Urban Platypus Recovery Initiative (TBC) | |
2024 ARI Research Seminar Series
| 2024 | Speaker(s) and subject | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| November | 20th |
Marine Mammal Conservation - Hybrid seminar Dr Barbara Taylor Incorporating the 'human dimension' in conservation planning for small cetaceans. Dr Jay Barlow Acoustics to study beaked whales (distribution, behavior, and even abundance). View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
| October | 21st |
Cryptic calls and fishy intruders Dr Ben Fanson (ARI) Oh carp! Quantifying the ecological impacts of carp in Australia Harriet Kulich (ARI) Listening in: Detecting difficult waterbirds through novel audio analysis techniques View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
| August | 12th |
ARI Virtual Tour and Introduction (Science Week) James Todd (ARI) An Introduction to ARI - who we are, what we do and why we do it Andy Geschke & Tess McLaren (ARI) A tour of our facilities with Annette Muir, Tim O'Brien, Dr Josephine Machunter, Dr Jemma Cripps and Dr Jarod Lyon View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
| July | 15th |
Protecting birds in a changing environment Danny Rogers (ARI) Potential impacts of sea level rise on the shorebirds at Victoria’s Western Treatment Plant Dr Nyil Khwaja (ARI) How environmental water can be managed to benefit waterbirds in Victoria View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
| June | 24th |
The extraordinary work to understand our iconic banksia Annette Muir (ARI) How much fire is too much for our iconic Hairpin Banksia? Laura Simmons (RBGV) How conservation genetics can help banksia recovery after bushfires View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
| May | 27th |
Reconciliation Week – Understanding the impacts of cultural burning Blair Gilson (WTOAC) Dr Brad Farmilo (ARI) View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
| May | 13th |
Oh Deer! Is our environment a hog's breakfast? Dr Lauren White (ARI) Justin Cally (ARI) View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
| April | 29th |
Dr Lily van Eeden (RMIT) Conservation is about us Dr Kasey Stamation How the community are helping us protect our endangered species View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
| April | 15th |
Dr Chris Jones (ARI) Managing riverine vegetation with flows: what we know and what's next Piyumi Wijepala (University of Melbourne) Understanding the impact of flow timing and duration on native riparian understorey plants View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
| March | 18th |
Dr Emma Hudgins (University of Melbourne) Modelling pest dispersal to protect our environment Bev Yen (DEECA) How sharing our data with the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas helps biodiversity View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
2023 ARI Research Seminar Series
| 2023 | Speaker(s) and subject | |
|---|---|---|
| October | 9th | Joslin Moore and Cindy Hauser (ARI) Collective Science View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| September | 18th |
Ruby Stoios and Annique Harris (ARI) Fish, floods and earbones View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| August | 7th |
Professor Richard Kingsford (University of NWS) Strategic adaptive management View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| May | 22nd |
Dr Graeme Coulson (University of Melbourne) No place like home: a kangaroo translocation trial Dr Matthew Rees (CSIRO) Do foxes supress feral cats? View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| May | 1st | Dr Steve Sinclair (ARI) Sustainable practices in Mongolian grazing management using ecology and local knowlege Dr Andre Messina (Royal Botanic Gardens) The role of seed and spore banks in safeguarding the future of many Victorian species |
| March | 27th | Nick Porch (Deakin University) Terrestrial Invertebrates - invlauable in evidence-based conservation Peter Menkhorst (ARI) Lost Worlds - Journeying back in time to help present-day conservation |
| February | 13th | Dr Andy Danylchuck (University of Massachusettes Amherst) Beyond Engagement: Leveraging angler passion for conservation Dr Jarod Lyon (ARI) 10 in TEN - threatened species recovery through Victoria's new conservation hatchery program |
2022 ARI Research Seminar Series
| 2022 | Speaker(s) and subject | |
|---|---|---|
| February | 21st | Dr Lauren White (ARI) Genetic assessments of inbreeding in the wild Dr Tiffany Kosch (UoM) Genetic interventions to restore frogs threatened by chytridiomycosis |
| March | 21st | Dr Rachel Leihy (ARI) Quantifying Antarctica’s unique biodiversity and wilderness value Dr Joslin More (ARI) Decision tools for conservation management View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| April | 4th | Dr Kate Lee (ARI) People and nature in cities Rose Macauley (UoM) Sensory and cognitive connections with nature: exploring urban engagement with nature View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| May | 16th | Dr Sasha Pavlova (Monash University) – Genetic rescue in Conservation Dr Zeb Tonkin (ARI) – Genetic rescue for Macquarie Perch |
| June | 6th | Dr Henry Wootton (ARI) Can fish populations respond to fishing, warming temperature and altered hydrology? Dr Nyil Khwaja (ARI) Ecology and life-history of social birds View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| July | 4th | ARI NAIDOC Panel Get up, Stand up, Show up: what this means for Country, Culture and environmental management Panellists: Maddi Miller (ARI/University of Melbourne), Teagan Goolmeer (University of Melbourne) and Rhianna Kerr (DELWP) Facilitated by Fern Hames (ARI) |
| July | 28th | SWIFFT ARI Seminar - Science that Matters Fern Hames - Introduction to ARI Dr Zeb Tonkin - Monitoring water for the environment Dr Tracy Regan - Using decision science Dr Peter Griffioen - Identifying species calls using A.I. Louise Durkin - Searching for Watson's Tree Frog after fire Dr Kate Lee - Making connecting and acting for nature the norm |
| August | 15th | Science Week Seminar Dr Dave Ramsey (ARI) Estimating species populations for environmental management Dr Matt Bruce Filling the knowledge gap with science |
| September | 19th | Vic Nature Festival Dr Geoff Heard (UQ) Australia's Threatened Species Index: Infrastructure for long-term monitoring of species trends Justin Cally (ARI) Koala distribution and abundance in East Gippsland |
| October | 31st | Dr Jessica Walsh (Monash) Rapidly assessing the conservation evidence for threatened ecosystems Dr Tatsuya Amano (UQ) Why language matters in conservation |
| November | 21st | Dr Eduardo Fernandez (University of Adelaide) Animal behviour: training and managing species for conservation Nick Rutter (Zoos Victoria) What's new at the zoo? Training detection dogs for conservation applications |
2021 ARI Research Seminar Series
Presentations that were part of our 2021 series. Recordings of these are available via YouTube - see links below.
| 2021 | Speaker(s) and subject | |
|---|---|---|
| November | 15th |
Lisa de Kleyn (RMIT) Navigating stories, meanings and emotion as evidence: relationships with native forest Kylie Soanes (University of Melbourne) Stuck in the city with you: conserving species on our doorstep View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| October | 25th |
James Shelley (ARI, Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation) What can eDNA tell conservation researchers? James O'Dwyer (La Trobe University and ARI) Using population genetics to understand life history traits within Murray cod View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| September | 13th |
(Biodiversity Month) Tim O’Brien, Arn Tolsma, Tarmo Raadik, Jemma Cripps, Peter Menkhorst (ARI) Bushfire recovery surveys for wildlife and flora View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| August | 16th | (Science Week) – Peter Griffioen (ARI, Ecological Analysis & Synthesis) Identifying frog calls with Deep Learning AI Jian Yen (ARI, Flows and Habitat) Putting ecological modelling to the test View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| July | 5th | (NAIDOC Week) – Denis Rose (Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owner Aboriginal Corporation) and Wayne Koster (ARI, Instream Habitat and Environmental Flows) Partnerships in eel research |
| June | 7th | (World Environment Day) – Ashley Sparrow (ARI, Riparian and Wetland Ecology) Restoration Australia: The art of making run-down ecosystems new again |
| May | 24th | Maddi Miller (Melbourne University & ARI) Meet the Researcher: Maddi Miller on culture and countryChris McCormack (Melbourne University & Remember the Wild) The motivation we need? How good stories can save species |
| April | 26th |
David Nipperess (NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment) Measuring biodiversity and ecological integrity in NSW |
| March | 22nd |
Lesley Head (University of Melbourne, School of Geography) Mass fish kills, a crisis of modern water: understanding hydro-social change in the Murray-Darling Basin View a recording of this webinar on YouTube |
| February | 22nd |
Christina Renowden (ARI, Communication and Collaboration) Nature connectedness: exploring integrated ArtScience experiences through head, heart, and hand Lily van Eeden (ARI, RMIT, Monash BehaviourWorks) Exploring human attitudes and behaviours to improve conservation outcomes View a recording of this webinar on YouTube |
2020 ARI Research Seminar Series
Presentations that were part of our 2020 series. Recordings of these are available via YouTube - see links below.
| 2020 | Speaker(s) and subject | |
|---|---|---|
| November | 23rd |
Fern Hames (ARI, Communication and Collaboration) What about people? The shifting role of people in our ecological equations View a recording of this webinar on YouTube |
| October | 19th |
John Koehn (ARI, Population Processes) Fisheries, fish, aquatic ecology: progress over the past 40 years View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| September | 21st |
Lindy Lumsden (ARI, Wildlife Ecology) Marvellous, mysterious mammals: ARI's legacy in mammal research over recent decades View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| August | 17th |
Josephine MacHunter, Tracey Regan, Annique Harris, Khorloo Batpurev (ARI) ARI's bright future - science, policy and collaboration View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| 31st |
Peter Menkhorst (ARI, Waterbirds and Wetlands) Laying the foundations: wildlife research at ARI, 1970-1995 View a recording of this seminar on YouTube | |
| July | 27th |
Matt White (ARI, Ecological Analysis and Synthesis) Nature conservation in Victoria 1969-2020 - an abridged and idiosyncratic rendering View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| June | 15th |
Kim Lowe (Director, ARI) ARI: celebrating 50 years of great science that matters for Victorians View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| April | 27th |
Melissa Hatty (Monash University and ARI) Who needs to do what differently: why behavioural science matters in biodiversity conservation View a recording of this seminar on YouTube |
| February | 24th | Richard Faulkner (ARI, Communication and Collaboration) |
Page last updated: 25/06/25